Many mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, now come with an embedded camera that can be used to take pictures and/or record video. The camera is typically controlled via a dedicated camera application installed on the mobile device. In first generation mobile devices, users typically had to navigate to and open the camera application, in the same way as navigating to and opening up any other application on the device, in order to take a picture. This typically involved exiting whatever application the mobile device was currently executing, locating the camera application within the application directory/home page of the mobile device, and launching the camera application.
In recent generations of mobile devices, manufacturers have realized just how often users take photos or record videos and have taken steps to make it easier for the user to launch the camera application. This includes, for example, providing the ability for the user to launch the camera application while currently executing a different application by bringing up a navigation screen such as a control center by executing a particular gesture. The navigation screen has an icon to quick launch the camera application. This gives the user the impression that the camera application is launching from inside the currently running application, but in reality the operating system saves the state of the currently running application and stops running it while the camera application is launched and run, and then reloads and restarts the application once the camera application has been closed.
While the above process is quicker than in first generation mobile devices, it is still too slow for many users. Oftentimes, an interesting photo is missed due to the user being unable to perform the gestures necessary to launch the camera application in time. Additionally, the launching of the camera application, even when started quickly, itself takes time to complete. As such, even if a user has lightning-fast reflexes and takes only fractions of a second to select to launch the camera application, it may take a few seconds for the camera application to completely launch to allow the user to take pictures or record video.